Adjustable water ski binder



Jan. 7, 1958 J. P BRIDGES ADJUSTABLE WATER SKI BINDER Filed Aug. 16, 1956 V UIIV/AIWAiZ'kIIMlmE INQENTOR J.P.BR|DGES United States Patent ADJUSTABLE WATER SKI BINDER Joseph P. Bridges, Lakeland, Fla., assignor to Cypress Gardens Skis Inc., Winter Haven, Fla., a corporation of Florida This invention'relates to sports and equipment used in such sports and, particularly, to water skiing and means by which the skis are fastened to the feet. This invention is an improvement over my Patent 2,754,526, granted July 18, 195 6, in which it was an object of the invention to provide a relatively simple ski binding permanently mounted on a ski but adjustable to accommodate feet of different sizes.

It has been found desirable to further simplify and improve the structure by which skis are attached to the feet in order that greater dependence may be placed in such structure, a more solid binding action may be obtained, and the time required in the application and adjustment may be minimized.

It is an object of the invention to accomplish the results above mentioned and to provide a ski binding of simple and relatively inexpensive character by which skis may be quickly applied and adjusted to the desired size and in which the ski binding is permanently attached to the ski in a manner that it may be readily secured to the ski in a minimum of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ski binder which is easy to produce, to apply, and which will satisfactorily and efliciently perform the service for which it was designed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged top plan view of the ski binding or attaching means;

Fig. 3, an elevation with parts broken away;

Fig. 4, a perspective of the heel plate; and

Fig. 5, an enlarged fragmentary detail section on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Briefly stated, the invention is an adjustable ski binder including a fixed elastic toe portion and an adjustable elastic heel portion, a pair of guide bars overlying the sides of the toe portion and being secured through such toe portion by suitable fasteners, rear portion of the guide bars being mounted in spaced relation to its supporting ski so that ears or side portions of the heel plate may slide thereunder, spaced guide lugs being carried by such heel plate to prevent lateral movement of the heel plate relative to the guide bars, the heel binder being secured to the heel plate by means of a yoke through which fasteners pass to attach the yoke to the heel plate, the rearwardly extending portion of the heel plate being provided with an adjusting groove having notches in which a locking nut or screw is received whereby slight oscillation of the heel plate to release a notch from the screw allows the heel plate to slide so the unnotched portion of the groove passes the screw providing for any desired longitudinal adjustment to accommodate feet of different sizes.

With continued reference to the drawing, skis are provided with means by which they may be attached to 2,818,587 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 the feet comprising toe and heel portions or binders 11 and 12 adapted to be secured respectively in fixed and movable relation. The toe binder 11 preferably is of elastic material and of a configuration to snugly receive the forward portion of the foot and the heel binder 12 preferably is of elastic material and of a configuration to fit over the heel so that the foot of the wearer will be snugly engaged within and between the toe and heel binders.

The toe binder 11 is secured in place by a pair of guide bars 13 and 14 which overlie the lateral edge portions of the toe binder, and a series of fasteners 15 extend through the guide bars and the toe binder into the skis 10. Each heel binder is carried by a substantially Y-shaped heel plate 16 being fastened thereto by means of a yoke 17 and fasteners 18, the yoke 17 overlying the sides and rear edges of theheel binder and the fasteners extending through'such'yoke '17 and the heel binder into the heel plate 16.

The heel plate 16 is movable or adjustable longitudinally of the ski 10 and is constructed for securement in adjusted position. For this purpose the guide bars 13 and 14 are provided with an ofiset or inclined portion 19 adjacent the rear edge of the toe binder and the rear end of each guide bar is provided with downwardly turned spacing portion 20. These portions 19 and 20 serve to space the rear portion of the guide bar in parallel relation a slight distance from the top surface of the ski in order that extensions or cars 21 and 22 at opposite sides of the heel plate may be slidably received thereunder, the heel plate also being provided with guide lugs 23 and 24, such guide lugs being spaced so that they lie between the guide bars 13 and 14 and the heel plate is thereby held against lateral movement. The Y-shaped plate has a rearward extension 25 forming the stem and outwardly extending arms terminating in cars 21 and 22 forming the Y-shaped heel plate.

In order to adjust the heel plate, such heel plate is provided with a rearward extension 25 corresponding to the stem of the Y-shaped heel plate and in such rearward extension a longitudinal slot 26 is provided and communicating with such longitudinal slot 26 are a plurality of L-shaped slots 27. Cooperating with such slot 26 and slots 27 is a screw 28 which is slidably received in the appropriate slot 27 to provide the proper adjustment between the toe retaining portion 11 and the heel retaining portion 12. It will be apparent that the screw 28 may take the form of a stud screwed to the ski 10 and having a releasable wing nut or the like to provide additional clamping and permitting ready release, such nut preferably being secured by swaging over the upper end of the stud to prevent loss. It will also be apparent that the screw 28 may be provided with hand manipulatable cars so that the screw may be released or tightened to obtain adjustment or a fixed setting, respectively, of the ski binder.

From the above description it will be apparent that applicant has provided an adjustable mounting for a ski so that a single ski may be adjusted to fit persons having different sized feet and that the adjustment may be readily accomplished by simple manipulation of the heel plate, the manipulation merely involving the heel plate being moved forwardly to release screw 28 from the forwardly extending portion 29 of the L-shaped slot in which such screw is located and then pivoting the heel plate to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, until the screw is located in the longitudinal slot 26 and thereafter the proper adjustment is made by sliding the heel plate relative to the screw 28. The heel plate is pivoted so that the screw is retained in the correct L-shaped slot for the adjustment desired. It will be evident that the adjustment is positive even though the screw 28 is not securely tightened against the rear- ,yardly egtter ding p r tion -Z S. of such heel plate and therefore the ad ustments may be readily made withoutany manipulation o f the screw 2 8 1 l lo'vvever, in some instances it may be desired to have the adjustment fixed a at me 9tsw.-, a -t tialttse st-dwa this P1,1.F P.$-- tw ll-al a bwa tt et te9rsa mfl he l Pla e; s t z f 's IW be vi is t wat. sk l t We; artihat ariw sh asssim yt m e hi t ay qt aw tt t dsaa t ir n t e s t and. sab l 2 -a q.t s"- f t st Rati tw im d X-. .t{wh, t il as ra d the 45 i s. d qe l i tl. 21 as; t ssifisa emwt 3. as indicated in the appended claim:

H What is claimed is:

A.- d. e a va qa asi z. bin for eta ainait e t bat fpa 1 awe-9a. means s e t se wade s- Pi ii 9s vs i s aa a sn eattle r t a qtrs s a d? laielzs a eae t te e. k a d; extendi wsvkaaatia m afa r r ati ,r wa it mzt -t bi d rmsa t-f a sasas et -Ra f as sq s; aqtala flfi q ia ti a ssa t t-a ve pl a axi si st e 9 ex e in the spaces between said guide hars and the slii and having its stem extending rearwardly thereof, said stem being provided with a longitudinally extending elongated slot and it plurality of laterally extending L-sh ap e d slots communicating therewith, a stud mounted in said ski and having a head with the shank thereof possing through and slidably engaging in either of said slots, the head of said stud being of greater transverse dimension than the width of either slot, an upstanding guide lug on each of said in opposed relation inwardly of said guide bars for cooperation therewith for preventing lateral movement of said arms but providing for arcuate movement of the Y-sha ped plate whereby said Y-shaped plate is adjustabIe by a forward and lateral motion to release the shank of ,the stud from the L-shaped slotsand permit said stem to be moved so its elongated slot registers with said shank of said stud for adjustment of said heel engaging means relative to said toe engaging binder.

v References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

